Olga Marchenko

21 articles

science running health training nutrition injury-prevention

Author's articles

Heel spur and plantar fasciitis: 63 RCTs, 4,170 people and a ranking of the treatments that really take the pain away

Heel pain is one of the most searched-for running problems, even though the bony outgrowth behind the popular name turns up in a third of people whose heels never hurt. A 2026 network meta-analysis compared seven treatments for plantar fasciitis not with placebo one by one but with each other — and it turned out that each has its own horizon: one works for the first month, another for a year. Here is where a runner should start.

injury-prevention health science

Olga Marchenko•Sep 21, 2026

Cordyceps: 100,000 searches a month, four placebo-controlled studies and not a single race it made faster

A fungus that grows out of caterpillars is sold as “natural EPO”. A fresh 2026 RCT: 1 g of extract, 12 men, post-exercise reaction time 70 ms faster — and no effect at all on peak oxygen uptake. We go through everything that has been tested in humans, from trained cyclists to pensioners.

nutrition supplements science

Olga Marchenko•Sep 7, 2026

A blocked nose after the pool: 74% of swimmers, chloramines and the trap of decongestant drops

The culprit is not chlorine but what chlorine turns into when it meets sweat and urine. 74% of swimmers have rhinitis symptoms against 40% in controls — and two weeks out of the pool clear them. Meanwhile the most popular “treatment” only makes things worse.

swimming triathlon health

Olga Marchenko•Sep 1, 2026

78,912 Boston finishers: with even pacing the “wall” happens in 0.2% of cases

The largest analysis of marathon splits sorted runners into four pacing types. Among those who ran evenly, a collapse in pace in the second half occurred in 0.2% of cases. Among those who ran erratically — in 85.4%. The gap in finish time between the extreme groups is almost an hour.

running marathon training

Olga Marchenko•Aug 24, 2026

Astaxanthin: 51 seconds over 40 km, and why that is less than it sounds

The carotenoid from Haematococcus algae is sold as the “most powerful antioxidant there is.” In a crossover trial, 12 mg a day for a week made a 40 km time trial 1.2% faster and raised fat oxidation at the finish. The sample was twelve people.

nutrition science cycling

Olga Marchenko•Aug 18, 2026

Rhodiola rosea: 26 studies, 668 people and a very modest bump in VO₂max

A 2025 meta-analysis pulled together everything known about golden root in endurance sport. The VO₂max gain is there and surprisingly consistent, the drop in creatine kinase is sizeable — but a fortyfold spread in doses makes it impossible to name a protocol.

nutrition science recovery

Olga Marchenko•Aug 10, 2026

FATmax: there is no fat-burning pace that is the same for everyone

Across 1,121 athletes, maximal fat oxidation occurred on average at 49.3% of VO₂max — with a range from 22.6 to 88.8%. Known factors explain only 47% of the differences. Here is what to do about it in practice.

science nutrition training

Olga Marchenko•Aug 7, 2026

Menthol mouth rinse: fooling the brain with cold without cooling the body

Rinsing the mouth with a menthol solution every six minutes raised mean power by 1.67% in the heat. The body does not actually cool — only perception changes. Here is where that helps and where it gets dangerous.

nutrition science cycling

Olga Marchenko•Aug 7, 2026

Return to running postpartum: why “six weeks and you're cleared” no longer works

A new guide, co-designed with 503 runners, proposes four stages and progression by symptoms rather than by the calendar. We unpack what has changed in the recommendations and which signals mean “see a clinician, not go for a run.”

health running injury-prevention

Olga Marchenko•Aug 6, 2026

Cadence lock: why your watch shows your cadence instead of your heart rate

The useful signal in an optical heart rate sensor is just 1–2% of the reflected light, and every foot strike attacks it from three directions at once. Here is why your heart rate “sticks” at 180 during intervals — and why no firmware update will fix it.

training running science

Olga Marchenko•Jul 31, 2026

Exercise-induced bronchoconstriction: when “I never got going” means narrowed airways

In endurance athletes, airway narrowing during exercise is many times more common than in the general population, and diagnosis “by feel” barely works. Here is who it affects and why an objective test is needed.

health science running

Olga Marchenko•Jul 29, 2026

Polarized versus pyramidal: where the advantage exists and where it does not

A meta-analysis of 17 studies confirmed the superiority of the polarized model for VO₂peak — but only in blocks shorter than 12 weeks and only in well-trained athletes. In time trials there is no difference at all.

training running science

Olga Marchenko•Jul 29, 2026

Tart cherry for recovery: what anthocyanins can do and what not to expect from them

Montmorency cherry concentrate speeds the return of strength after hard efforts and dampens some inflammation markers. But it's a recovery tool, not an 'endurance pill' — and in the off-season it may even get in the way.

recovery nutrition science

Olga Marchenko•Jul 22, 2026

CGM in healthy athletes: what a glucose sensor really shows, and what we made up

At record-setting events, glucose in elite athletes without diabetes drops to 3.0 and climbs to 11 mmol/L — and that is normal. Here is why an amateur might want a sensor, why it is not a “fuel gauge,” and where self-deception begins.

nutrition science training

Olga Marchenko•Jul 19, 2026

Inspiratory training: why runners and triathletes should strengthen their breathing muscles

The diaphragm tires too and “steals” blood from your legs. We unpack how a handheld resistance trainer cuts breathlessness and perceived effort — and why it isn’t about a VO2max record, but about finishing without that “not enough air” feeling.

training science running

Olga Marchenko•Jul 17, 2026

“Eat less, run faster”: how an energy deficit breaks a runner's bones

A chronic calorie shortfall hits hormones and bones and raises the risk of stress fractures. We break down the latest 2026 studies and the signs of RED-S that are important not to miss.

injury-prevention health science

Olga Marchenko•Jul 16, 2026

Carbon “super shoes” on the trail: does the road magic work

The 2026 meta-analyses confirmed it: on the road a carbon plate really does save 2–3% of energy. But all the science on “super shoes” is built on treadmills and steady pacing — and on trails and climbs there is simply no evidence of any benefit.

running trail marathon

Olga Marchenko•Jul 13, 2026

Will one sleepless night wreck your race? What an experiment with cyclists revealed

26 amateur cyclists stayed awake for 25 hours, then rode a 40-minute effort and a 20-minute time trial. We break down what suffered, what held up, and why a single normal night set everything right again.

cycling triathlon recovery

Olga Marchenko•Jul 4, 2026

The Achilles doesn’t need a break, it needs load: how to rebuild a runner’s most temperamental tendon

A fresh 2026 network meta-analysis and the protocol of a new study suggest that heavy slow work and isometrics make the Achilles stiffer and thicker, while rest and stretching through pain are almost useless. Here’s how to load the tendon the right way.

injury-prevention running science

Olga Marchenko•Jul 3, 2026

Cramps on Race Day: Why "It Seized Up = You Ran Low on Salt" Is a Myth

The electrolyte theory of cramps sounds convincing, but the evidence tells a different story. Let's unpack what actually cramps your muscles and what to do right there on the course.

injury-prevention health science

Olga Marchenko•Jun 21, 2026

How to hydrate during training: the NATA position, no myths

There is no universal water requirement. We break down why you shouldn't lose more than 2% of your body weight, how to calculate your own sweat rate, and when to drink to thirst versus by plan.

hydration health running

Olga Marchenko•Jun 9, 2026